Trois Rivières

Trois Rivières (trwä rēvyĕrˈ) [key] or Three Rivers, city (1991 pop. 49,426), S Que., Canada, at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and St. Maurice rivers. It is a port and an industrial center. The city was founded (1634) by Champlain and took its name from the three channels through which the St. Maurice enters the St. Lawrence. It became a major French trading post and fortified port and was the starting point of many explorers and missionaries. In 1737 the first iron forges in Quebec were built in Trois Rivières. During the 19th cent. lumbering was the major industry, but with the utilization of water power after 1900 the pulp and paper industry became dominant. Textiles, foodstuffs, and electrical appliances are also manufactured. A branch of the Quebec Univ. is located there.